Releasable holding arm for doors and the like



Sept. 27, 1938. D, R, ASER 2,131,5 4

RELEASABLE HOLDING ARM FOR DOORS AND THE LIKE Filed June 7, 1937 2 Sheets-Shet l "iii D. R. LASIER RELEASABLE HOLDING ARM FOR DOORS AND THE LIKE Sept. 27, 1938.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 7, 1937 Patented Sept. 27, 1938 H I 2,131,564 I RELEASABLE HOLDING ARM FOR oooas; 1

UNITED STATES PATENroFr ce AND THE LIKE David. R. Lasier, Chicago, 111., as signor to Norton Lasier Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application June '7, 1937, Serial No. maize 3 Claims. (01. 189-49) This invention relates to an improved holding friction head L WhBIeaS'Figure 7 S WS- the device for doors of the type having an automatic p outwardly With the friction d d; release for rendering the holding means ineifec- Figure 8 is an elevational View in cross section tive when exposed to heat such as that octaken on the line 8-8 ofFigure 5, and looking '5. casioned by a fire whereby the door may be free in the direction of the arrows. v

to close and automatically to cut off drafts 'and By referring to the drawings it will be noted the communication between rooms so as to prethat the invention is hereillustrated as. embodied vent or deter the spreading of the fire. The rein a holding arm which consists. of acrank arm leasing means may depend for its action upon a l and a forearm H, the first of which is con- 10 fusible element or link of well known construenected at one end l2 to the spindle l3, of a door 10 tion which will fuse at a predetermined temperaclosing andchecking device Ht. The checking ture. device forms no part of this invention and may It is an object of the present invention to probe of" any suitable type or omitted altogether. vide a holding device for doors or the like, The device here illustrated is. the usual surface 5 which may be used separately or in conjunction type door check and islconnected by means of 15, with checking and closing mechanism which will a bracket l5 to the upper surface of the door l6 elfectively hold the door or the like, in any deso as to be carried thereby when the door is sired open position, according to the adjustment moved to open position on the hinges l'l. of the holding means, and which will readily and The outer end of thecrank arm i9 is proquickly release the door upon the subjection of vided with a friction head l8 having a central 20 the device to a predetermined temperature, bearing opening l9 and a spiral friction face whereby the door will at once be free to close, 2!]. The crank armabove described is of subas for instance, under the influence of closing stantially the same construction. as that con spring or equivalent mechanism. stituting the holding device disclosed in appli- It is a further object of this invention to procants Patent bio-1,826,553 of October 6, 19.31, 25 vide a releasable holding device of the above dewhere it will be noted in Figure 10, the spiral scribed type which is very simple in construcface of the friction head has a gradual taper tion and is thus easily and cheaply manufacand an abrupt step between the high and. low tured and yet which is highly efficient, durable portions .ofthe spiral,

and dependable in service. The forearm in the illustrated embodiment of 30 These and other objects not specifically enuthe invention is made up of four separate parts merated will readily. appear to one skilled in the so as to provide for an adjustment as to length art as the following description proceeds which and angularity in mounting and to permit the y be more readily undelstood' if considered in attachment thereof in different horizontal the light of t e acco p y drawings in which! planes. The outer end consists of a frictional 35 Figure 1 is a p View a door GIG-5mg and head 2| pivoted as by a pin 22 to the socket memh c ns device of the surface yp equipped w her 23 equipped with a set screw 24. The rod 25 a holding arm constructed in accordance with is retained inthe member 23' in any desired adthis invention; justed position bythe holding action of the set Figure 2 is an 1 t 1 View of t d i screw and has provided at its other end, a uni- 40 shown in Figure 1; versal joint 26 having horizontal and vertical Figure 3 is an enlarged perspective View f a pivots for connecting the same to the bracket holding arm constructed in accordance with this AS Shown in Figuresl and this-bracket is attached to the door frame by means of screws invgntlon; 28. The above described features of the fore- Flfgure 4 15 an enlarged persrfectwe of armare substantially thesame as ,those illus- 45 portmn of one of the arms showing the constructrated in applicants Patent No. 1-826 553 above tion of the friction head and releasing means referred to and thus the forearmis hapable of therefor; acting in substantially thesame way, it being Figure 5 is a plan of the mechamsm Show understood that the friction head on the outer 50 in Figure 4; end is provided with .a frictional face adapted Figures 6 and '1' are cross sectional elevational to have cogperativej engagement with the ffl Views taken on the line 05 Figure 5 and tional face on the head l8 ofthe crank arm. looking in the direction of the arrows. Fi 6 The novelty of this invention resides in certain shows the pin in an inward position with the structural features which are best illustrated 55 in Figures 4 to 8 inclusive. By referring to Figure 4 it will be noted that the friction head 2| on the end of the forearm has a spiral face made up of two parts, first a lower and integrally formed part 30, and secondly, the upper and separable part 3|. The friction surface of part 3| is somewhat above that which would constitute a continuation of the spiral surface of the lower part 30, and the part itself is formed as a separate piece movably held on the head by means of dowel pins 32 or other similar means. These pins fit relatively loosely either in the piece 3| or in the head itself so that the friction part 3| is free to be lifted and lowered under the cam action of a pin, hereinafter described. It will be noted that the spiral face of the head 2! has a step between its high and low portions and therefore provides a friction head corresponding in shape and adapted for cooperation with the friction head on the crank arm. Due to the fact that the movable part 3| is slightly higher than the projected incline of the lower portion, it alone serves as the frictional binding surface, the lower part 30 being cut away so as to avoid frictional contact with the friction head of the crank arm.

The head shown in Figure 4 is provided with a central opening 33 which preferably has fiattened sides 34 so as to have a non-rotating fit with the bolt 35 as shown in Figure 8. The bolt is preferably provided with a head 36, and a round bearing portion 31 which fits into the round hole I 9 of the friction head of the crank arm. The bolt also extends into the head 2| and has flattened surfaces 38 to engage with the flat sides 33 of the head. The bolt further projects beyond the head 2| and is provided with a threaded end 39 for receiving a nut 40. A washer 4| may be placed under the head 36 of the bolt.

It is apparent from an understanding of the above construction that the nut 40 may be adjusted to any desired position so as to vary the space between the friction face of the head 2| and the under surface of the head of the bolt so as to provide a binding between the friction surfaces of the heads at various angular positions according to the requirements of a particular installation. In this respect, the device behaves s milar to that shown in the applicant's Patent No. 1,826,553, above referred to. When the parts have been brought to the angular position at which the binding action will occur the frictional faces will be wedged together and exert a holding action resisting the normal tendency for the door to close, as for instance, under the influence of a closing spring of a door closing device. However, if it is desired to close the door the same may be effected manually by exerting a closing pressure on the door suflicient to overcome the frictional resistance of the holding device. After the frictional engagement of the spiral faces has been broken the arms will pivot freely and the door will be free to close, the same as if no holding device was present.

The structural features of this device which provide for the automatic release will now be described. With particular reference to Figures 4 to 8 inclusive, it will be noted that the head I8 is provided with a laterally extending hole 45 which is adapted to receive a pin 46. The pin has a sliding fit in the hole and is so designed that under ordinary circumstances when the device is adjusted for holding action it is contained entirely within the hole With its outer end substantially flush with the outer surface of the crank arm as shown in Figure 6. Adjacent the hole, a holding stud or screw 41 is provided which serves as a mounting for a latching member 48. The latching member is pro-- vided at its end with a fork, or a pair of spaced fingers 49 which straddle the stud of the screw 41. The latching member is also preferably provided with a spring member held by means of a screw 5| and providing a projecting end 52 serving as a means for holding the fusible link 53. Also carried by the head 2| is a stationary pin 54, extending outwardly in a manner to form a holder for the other end of the fusible link 53. The pin 54 may be mounted by means of screw threads 55 and is equipped with a notch 56 for holding the fusible link against displacement. The pin 54 and the spring 50 of the latching member are preferably so located with respect to the length of the fusible link that the link when inserted in position, places the spring 50 under slight tension. The fusible link thus holds the latching member in position against the side of the head 2| and over the. end of the pin 46, as shown in Figure 6.

The sliding pin 46 as shown in Figures 4 to 7 inclusive, is provided with a notch on its upper surface having an inclined cam face 60. The friction part 3| as shown in Figure 4 which is movably mounted is provided with a downwardly extending lug 6| having cooperating engagement with the cam face 60 on the pin. The cam face 60 on the pin is so disposed with respect to the length of the pin that when the pin is inwardly, as shown in Figure 6 and as maintained by the latching member, the cam face 62 on the lug 6| is held on the upper portion of the incline and serves as a support for maintaining the friction part 3| in an elevated position. It is this part 3| in its elevated position that provides the holding means under normal conditions and consequently it is with the parts in this arrangement that the holding adjustment is made.

It should be further understood that the cam faces 60 and 62 are of such inclination that when the pin 46 is released by means of the removal of the latching member 48, the pressure exerted on the frictional member 3| when the faces are holding, will cam the pin outwardly to the position shown in Figure 7 and thus provide an increased space such that the frictional holding action is at once broken and the door is released.

Accordingly, it will be seen that by this invention the fusible link which is of usual construction, serves to hold the latching member 48 in position between the pin 54 and the holding screw 41 and that the latching member, while in such position, maintains the sliding pin 46 inwardly so that the semiannular frictional face member 3| is supported in an elevated position by means of the cam faces 60 and 62 on the pin and lug 6|, respectively; that in such posi tion the holding device may be adjusted to provide a frictional binding action at any desired angular position so that the door or similar member, upon a predetermined degree of opening movement, is held in the selected position; and further, that when it is desired to close the door, the frictional holding means may be released by exerting manually, a closing pressure on the door sufiicient to break the frictional engagement between the friction heads or that on the other hand, the same may be automatically released by a fusion of the fusible link 53.

It is well understood that links of this type are made in two parts and will release upon being subjected to a heat such as encountered by fire. Upon fusion of the link 53, it will be seen that the latching member 48 will no longer be held by the pin 54 and that the same by its own gravity, will swing downwardly and fall to the floor or away from its position over the end of the pin 45. Then, immediately upon freeing the pin 46, the cam action of the faces 5B and 62 will cause the pin to move outwardly and to thereby lower the friction part 3| and relieve the binding action between the friction head 2| and the cooperating head N3 of the crank arm.

I claim:

1. A pair of arms having spirally disposed cooperating frictionalfaces, said arms being pivoted adjacent said faces whereby said faces are adapted to bind and hold said arms when in predetermined relative positions, the spirally disposed face on one of said arms being provided on a separate part displaceable axially of said pivot, a pin mounted in the corresponding arm having a cam surface in supporting engagement with said displaceable part, said pin being movable for imparting to and receiving movement from said displaceable part, a latching means for holding said pin against displacement and a fusible link for said latching means,

2. A holding device of the character described comprising a crank arm and a forearm and a pivotal connection therebetween, said forearm having a displaceable member provided with a latching member carried by said arm for holding.

said pin and a fusible link for holding said latching member against displacement.

3. A holding device of the character described comprising a crank arm and a forearm and a pivotal connection therebetween, said forearm having a displaceable member provided with a spirally disposed frictional surface and said crank arm having a spirally disposed frictional face for cooperative engagement with the spiral face of said displaceable member, said displaceable member having a cam surface, a pin having a corresponding cam surface in engagement with said first-named cam surface and serving to support said displaceable member in one position to dis place the same for releasing the binding action of said spiral face in another position, a latching member carried by said arm for holding said pin and a fusible link for holding said latching mem-, ber against displacement through the instrumentality of a spring member.

DAVID'R. LASIER. 

